» Best individual performance: Eaton sophomore forward Caiden Rexius came off the bench to record game-highs of 10 points and five steals.

» Turning point: Valley was within striking distance after one quarter, down just 17-11. But, the Reds pulled away with an 11-0 run in the second, capped by a Bailey Schumacher fastbreak layup off a Lindy Dixon assist. The basket put Eaton up 28-11 with 4 minutes, 50 seconds left in the first half.

» What it means: Eaton (16-4) is red hot, winning its ninth straight game, heading into a district semifinals game Thursday against Frontier Academy (12-9). Meanwhile, Valley (12-8) is trending in the opposite direction, losing its fourth straight game heading into a consolation game Thursday against Strasburg (16-4).

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EATON — Even as the first few snowflakes were just beginning to fall Tuesday night, the Eaton girls basketball team was already unleashing a blizzard.

The Reds’ rival, Valley, could have used a snow day.

Vikings coach Justin Kravig said his team simply “didn’t show up to compete” in a 54-25 loss to Eaton in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A Patriot League District Tournament on Tuesday.

“I was disappointed, and I’ll leave it at that,” Kravig said. “It started from the get-go, and then it snow-balled.”

From buzzer to buzzer the third-seeded Reds (16-4) were razor sharp on offense and defense, winning for the ninth time in a row. Eaton will try to continue rolling at 6 p.m. Thursday when it plays host to No. 7 Frontier Academy (12-9), which scored an upset win, 63-55, Tuesday against Strasburg (16-4), the second seed of the 10-team tournament.

Valley (12-8), meanwhile, never got out of the starting blocks, scoring single-digits in the second and third quarters before failing to score in the fourth. The sixth-seeded Vikings will try to regroup when they travel to Strasburg to face the Indians in the consolation bracket at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The Reds have won the last two Patriot League district tournaments and were never in danger of falling out of this week’s championship race, leading 17-11 after the first quarter and 35-16 at half.

“We came out here, and we knew we were going to go out there and get this one,” Eaton sophomore center Lindy Dixon said. “We really wanted it, on our home court. We wanted to start the postseason off right.”

Dixon had six points and two steals, while bringing a heavy dose of in-your-face defense. The same could be said for just about every one of the other nine players who suited up for the Reds.

Sophomore forward Caiden Rexius came off the bench to record game-highs of 10 points and five steals.

Junior guard Bailey Jones was one of three Eaton players to score nine, along with sophomore guard Bailey Schumacher and junior forward Emily Willier.

Jones stepped into the starting lineup in place of senior guard Morgan Schumacher, who re-injured a sprained medial collateral ligament in her knee during the Reds’ regular-season finale, a 45-31 road win against Platte Valley on Feb. 18.

“It’s just kind of a different level of hype,” Jones said of her adjustment to becoming a starter. “You just have to calm yourself down quicker, because you’re not sitting on the bench. You can’t see what is happening in the game (before) coming off the bench.”

Eaton and Valley each had to play without one of its top leaders and ball-handlers.

While Schumacher has a shot at being back during regionals next week, the Vikings will continue to play without junior guard Cori Aafedt, who is out for the season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in a 44-43 win against Highland on Feb. 7.

Valley appeared woefully undermanned, but the Reds’ utilized their depth, hardly missing a beat with Schumacher watching from the bench.

“As coaches, we have a lot of confidence in everyone, one through 12,” Eaton coach Todd Hernandez said. “Everybody who is suiting up on this district roster, we know they can contribute, if needed. ... We see (Jones) as a sixth starter, and she’s playing well for us.”

The Reds had arguably their best passing performance of the season, recording 16 assists on 23 made baskets.

“In the beginning of the year, we had trouble scoring,” Dixon said. “Now, we’re finally figuring it out. We’re assisting a lot more, definitely. We’re seeing each other on the court, and it’s become more of a team game.”